Trigger Warning: This post talks about violence and sexual assault against minors.
Intro & Disclaimer
This unsolved case is the very first of the rabbit holes that I jumped into and is still the one that I have jumped the deepest into. It is also the first case that I tried to “solve” using the tarot cards and what launched me down this rather unexpected path of true crime investigations. But though it was the case I got the most invested in of late and though I can buy into the story that emerged from the cards as at least viable, it’s also been the case I’ve been most reluctant to post. Unlike the Jack the Ripper case, the cards point to suspects that are still alive. And unlike the Kristin Smart and JonBenet Ramsey cases, they point to ones that haven’t already been widely and strongly tied to the case. So while the cards potentially implicate people I’d consider already second-tier suspects, and while I don’t expect my site is going to become so massively popular and blindly trusted to actually have an impact on their lives, it still feels a bit funny adding to the noise against them considering they may very well be completely innocent. I won’t name names, other than when discussing Chadwell, but it likely won’t be hard for most people to make the connections.
That said, I also trust that (at least most) people know these are all hypothetical scenarios that should not be taken as facts. And that there is every chance that my cards and/or my interpretations of them are completely wrong.
James Chadwell
So I decided to finally post this because I just learned that James Chadwell has been arrested for assaulting a girl that he likely intended to kill and he is now being eyed as a suspect for the Delphi Murders. And he is a good suspect, and I could believe he was potentially involved, but I just don’t think he’s the man shown in Libby’s video, aka Bridge Guy (BG). And this opinion wasn’t formed by my cards.
I don’t have a single reason for it that someone could take to court and clear his name over, by any stretch. He just really doesn’t click for me as BG on a more intuitive level, but these are the best “why’s” I can come up with when I try to parse the rumblings of my gut:
*While he does bear a passing resemblance to both sketches (though it seems just about everyone in or near that town resembles one or both of the sketches- something in the water?), I can’t sync him with the man in the video. I just get different essences/vibes from BG and from Chadwell and it just doesn’t feel like I’m looking at the same man.
*The cops have speculated that the suspect could be between 18-40, and they would know more than I do, but I personally find it really hard to believe that BG is younger than mid-50’s and impossible to believe younger than mid-40’s. This is based on body type, clothes, and walk (not just the limp, his unnatural gait is quite possibly just due to the condition of the bridge). But also, again, just his overall essence.
*BG was likely carrying weapons beneath his jacket, so my perception of his overall dad bod/beer belly might be skewed, but while Chadwell’s weight seems to have fluctuated through the years, it looks to me that if you overlaid photos of him from any age on the one of the BG there wouldn’t be a perfect overlap, even if posed the same way. But admittedly, it’s not out of the question that there would be.
*I’m not an expert on Chadwell’s fashion style, and it is possible that he intentionally dressed against type that day and/or in clothes he wouldn’t mind throwing away, but BG’s clothes also just scream “dad” or at least “older middle-aged man” to me. Chadwell is a heavily tattooed man, with “edgy” piercings (I can never remember what those are called… snake tunnels? spacers? gauges?), and, from the few photos I’ve seen, seems to try to pull off a much “cooler” look than BG does, by far. BG does not strike me as the Ed Hardy/douchebag type and I don’t think an Ed Hardy/douchebag type would ever buy what BG was wearing. If Chadwell was going out to assault someone, I think he’d dress in a way that would make him feel bad-ass, not dowdy. And it is unlikely that he would have anticipated being photographed/videoed for him to feel the need to dress in clothes that aren’t “him”.
*Chadwell’s face is close enough to be a possible match, but while his weight did fluctuate, I personally don’t think his features are wide enough to be BG’s. And I also don’t think the color of the hair, including facial, is a perfect match and few guys ever dye their hair. But the video quality was too poor to be able to state either of these points with full confidence.
All in all, though not 100%, my gut instincts have had a pretty strong track record of being correct, so I consider them a decent data point as well. But I’ll also be the first to admit, and emphasize, that they are not infallible, by any means, and I am comfortable being wrong. And I would welcome it in this case since it would mean that long overdue justice may finally get served.
And I will say that my instincts are at their best when completely fresh and objective, and they were not as much as would be ideal when I first learned his name, since I had already gone well down the Delphi black rabbit hole by then and already had a primary suspect in mind. So my heels aren’t completely dug in, but they might need some more convincing before taking a leap to a new plot.
The Reading
This was a difficult case to “crack” with the cards because their story proved more convoluted than I expected. And it took a while for me to put my assumptions aside to understand the patterns of the cards and work out the nuances of the story they were weaving, very much including that there are more people connected to this case than I was expecting.
Here is what I came up with, that Chadwell may or may not fit into:
Abigail and Liberty
The cards started on the only positive note I can think possible by giving me the “2 of Cups”, which speaks to any strong connection between people that is often on the soul level. So while people often assign a romantic element to the card, I believe it was honoring the exceptionally close friendship the two girls are said to have shared, one that was fiercely loyal and genuinely loving. And with the ugliness of what happened to them, I love that the cards felt their bond was significant enough to be the underlying energy of this reading. And in a way, in reality, I do think their friendship was an ongoing factor in how their story played out and is a sliver of beauty that threads through it to the very sad and ugly end.
The Motive
It became clear early in that a father and son were central to this case, that the son had been in a relationship of sorts with one of the girls, and that there was an element of betrayal to their murders. The relationship had taken a disappointing and “unlucky” turn that would have led to unwelcome consequences for one or both of the males. The son was not aware that the father had behaved inappropriately towards the girl as well and wasn’t simply motivated by fatherly duty. I believe the son believed his dad’s intentions were simply to confront the girl and coerce her into making decisions that would spare him from these consequences. However, the son was the one to tip his father off that the girls would be at the bridge, giving him the opportunity to encounter them when they were vulnerable. It’s possible/probable that the son even played an underhanded role in why the girls wanted to go to the bridge that day.
I do believe the cards are suggesting the consequences would have stemmed from one or both of the males having sexually abused the girl in the past. I think she had engaged in more innocent levels of intimacy with the son, but he ultimately took it too far. This was something she was struggling to understand and she didn’t break off the relationship over it. Unbeknownst to the son, the father had also sexually abused the girl in some way.
I don’t know the nature of the sexual abuse, and if it was physical or verbal, in person or online, threatened or carried out, etc. The relationships may have been carried out entirely online and the one with the son may have started out as nothing more than a consensual flirtation, but there was a significant line crossed at some point. There is, of course, no way for an innocent start with the dad, if there ever was for the son (doubtful, but don’t know his age). I don’t know if the dad knew the girl because of her relationship with his son or if the father encountered her another way and just discovered the coincidence when his son confided in him, but logically, the former is the most probable scenario. If it was online only, perhaps it was the father masquerading as the son in some of the inappropriate and illegal interactions.
I believe the son believed he had genuine feelings for the girl and he misses her. He is sad and bears guilt for what was done to both girls. This doesn’t redeem him for his part in the crimes, but the cards did convey this to me so I am doing the same here.
I do believe that only one of the girls had been abused by them, but it was assumed that she would have confided in the other, so both girls represented a threat and needed to be dealt with. In this way, I think they were both targets that day vs. one being collateral damage. I don’t know why the girls were deemed to be a threat, perhaps one of the males had accidentally divulged something to the one that they then feared could be ultimately traced back to them? This is pure speculation.
I don’t want to say who I think was the abuse victim prior to their murders, so I’m going to simply refer to her as “the girl”, even though it feels horribly cold to do so.
The “Network”
The father didn’t act alone and solicited the help of two or three other like-minded men. The men were all connected through a network of people who shared similar perversions and potentially shared their ‘resources’. It was somehow known that the specific men he turned to were not averse to violence and could be trusted not to talk. Perhaps because they all had something on each other.
The cards were pretty clear that one of these men was a high-ranking figure in the legal system. I believe that they were pointing to a judge, but it could be any influential person in the legal field who is meant to help deliver justice. This man is one of the most prominent members of the “network”, likely recognized as its leader, and he took the lead in the attack on Libby and Abby as well. This man is also likely to be BG, so I’m going to refer to him as such from here on out. But it’s possible he was an unseen (by us) mastermind and the BG was a henchman.
I couldn’t come up with many distinguishing factors for the second man, except that he was younger than BG. And if the cards are calling out their ages as a distinction, then it probably means he was by more than a few years, and was maybe a generation or two below him.
There was a third man involved, and I believe he was around the same age (or generation) of Man #2, and potentially a relative of the BG. If not his own son, then perhaps something like a nephew. I think Man #3 lives elsewhere but has ties to Delphi and has spent time there. I believe he has a wife who was pregnant at the time of the attack, and he and BG were likely motivated by protecting this family unit. I am not sure, but am inclined to believe Man #3 was not directly involved in the attack. He was instead another layer of motivation for BG to help, but was likely at least aware, if not actively involved in the planning, of it.
All of the men had something to lose if the girl spoke out. It is possible that more than just the father had abused her specifically, but they had all abused other minors before, so they were all vulnerable if a thread in their web of misdeeds was pulled the wrong way. So whether they were afraid of direct retaliation or a ripple effect, they each had motivation to help the father. Maybe there is also just some solidarity amongst pedophiles, to a point.
I don’t believe BG himself had abused this girl prior to the final attack, but beyond potentially helping a younger relative, he also wanted to protect his core family, wealth, status, and prestige. Because he is very guilty of heinous crimes, and even if she hadn’t, until then, been one of his own victims, her coming out with her truth could have taken him down.
The Murders
The father wanted help for multiple reasons, but mostly because while he had no qualms over abusing minors or orchestrating their murders, he wasn’t so comfortable with carrying out that level of violence himself. And he happened to know people who not only had no qualms with any of it, but actually got off on it. They may have had other motivations, but BG and Man #2 enjoyed brutality.
These three of the men were at the scene and it was a team effort to pull the crime off, but it was BG and Man #2 who physically committed the murders. They had their own “preferences” and each girl was subjected to different methods of attacks and subsequent staging. The staging was intentionally done to imply there was a ritualistic element to the murders to make people believe it was the work of a serial killer. This was likely BG’s idea, drawing on his knowledge of criminal patterns from his career. He is the most intelligent of the men and had taken the lead in orchestrating the before, during, and aftermath of the attack. He was the one who knew how to avoid leaving more damning clues behind.
The others aren’t necessarily intelligent, but Man #2 is decidedly the least so. If any of them might make a mistake that leads to their being caught, it would be him. BG has since exerted his professional influence/resources in thwarting/interfering in the investigation of the case where possible. Though I’m not sure how explicitly/openly, and if this might then implicate others in the cover-up.
The Plan
BG was chosen to apprehend the girls because they felt his appearance would be the least intimidating to them. The plan was for BG to then bring them to a pre-determined spot where the other men would be waiting. But the men didn’t know exactly where BG would be able to catch up to the girls and this is why they ended up having to cross the water. The men had been planning this for at least a short while, but didn’t know exactly when/how they would get the opportunity to carry it out. Finding out the girls would be at the park was an unexpected opportunity for them that they jumped at. I don’t know exactly when or how the son learned of their plans (or likelier, figured out a way to help make them) but he was the one to relay the information to his father with enough time for the father to coordinate with the other men.
The Women
There is also at least one mother figure who is central to the case, and she would be the wife of the father/mother of the son. She was not involved, but she at the very least suspects, if not knows, that one or both of them were. She has chosen to stay silent, primarily to protect her son, but maybe both (though may not still be together with the father?). However, if Man #2 doesn’t trip up, she is likely the best chance for the cops to solve the case and she may cave if enough pressure is put on her. It does weigh on her conscience, even if she’s successfully fought it off so far. The cards also seem to suggest that BG’s wife also suspects his involvement but has similarly chosen to stay silent. However, her motivations are more to protect her own standing in the community and prosperity. She has more easily separated her emotions from her logic in this decision, so is probably less likely to break under pressure.
The Car
The Chariot came out a lot in this reading so I do think there is a car that is central to this case somehow. I do think the car that is said to have been parked near the park during the time of the murders is a false flag, but I do like what I’ve heard other tarot card readers and channelers suggest, which is that there may be some key evidence to be found in one of the killer’s garages that could break the case open. The cards did confirm that knives were the weapons used, as most people believe, so perhaps one is waiting to be found there. But the Chariot could very well represent the car by the park or something else altogether. I am inserting my own gut feeling in this, and it has been partially influenced by other readers, so even I don’t value it that much.
It could also suggest that others are right in suspecting the girls were taken elsewhere and then brought back to the woods. I am not inclined to believe this to be true either though.
I honestly don’t know what The Chariot means, but it came up enough for me to want to acknowledge it here. All I can really say is that somehow a car will have played a key role in the crime and/or the investigation of it- and that’s the kind of ambiguity that gives us tarot card readers a bad name.
Incidentally, I also got a lot of cards that suggest pregnancy. My first thought was that the girl was pregnant or that she and/or the men thought she was- which from a motive standpoint would be the same. And it would make a lot of sense if that were true, but I’m far from ready to say I believe it to be. I believe the girls’ families have denied that either of them were, and I am inclined to believe them. It felt like the cards were trying to draw my attention to more than just the mother figure(s) attached to the men, but maybe not. And maybe I just wasn’t picking up on alternative meanings and my instincts were already getting clouded by everything else that had already come up.
Aftermath
The cards do suggest at least one of the men carries guilt and regret over the murders, which I believe would be the son and/or the father. And I really hope that their conscience has stepped up to punish them the way the legal system has (yet) been able to. And I hope the legal consequences for them all will come soon, and with a vengeance. The cards did indicate that these men would ultimately get caught, either through a misstep by Man #2 or through the wife/mother cracking under the pressure.
Love and Loyalty
For the final take-away from the reading, the 7 of Wands came out a few times and it speaks of a conflict with someone willing to fight for what they think is theirs. The obvious tie is to the killers fighting for the lives/lifestyles they want to continue to live, despite what they did to not deserve to. But… I also think (and hope) it is a nod to how fiercely the girls are said to have fought back, and honoring the fact that one or both might have escaped at different times but refused to leave the other behind. I do think Libby was especially strong and how fiercely she fought back was partially why her attack was more brutal than Abby’s (if unofficial reports can be believed). The girls were truly amazing in many ways, from what I’ve read, but almost beyond belief towards each other. Few would know the deep level of empathy, love, and loyalty that these two young teenagers are said to have from the other throughout their relationship, but most especially in the most gruesome and highest-stakes test people can be put through.
Identity of Murderers
Other than speculating that Chadwell may very well be Man #2 (and if he’s not, I believe he’s at least part of that network, and I honestly lean towards this only), I won’t explicitly name the others I believe the cards point to, since unlike Chadwell, they haven’t been caught for a similar awful crime already. But it’s also not very hard to figure out who they are most likely implicating for BG (or the mastermind behind it all, if BG was just the main henchman). And what I can glean from the internet about him does fit the overall reading quite well. This doesn’t mean my cards and/or my interpretation of them are right, but I don’t know of anything yet that would challenge at least the possibility that they are.
As a side note, I watched another documentary about this case and happened to fall asleep halfway through. When I woke up, I tried to rewind to where I had dropped off and landed on the moment the creator was sharing a photo of one of the potential suspects. And the bells in my gut went off when I saw it, and it was my first moment of genuine doubt that BG was the man I thought, in favor of this guy I was now looking at. But then it turned out that it was actually a photo of the same man that I just hadn’t seen before. It wasn’t a close-up, so I didn’t connect the image right away, but my instincts certainly spoke up quickly, and in the way I have the most confidence in listening to them. So I really, really hope law enforcement is taking a serious look at him as a viable suspect.
Abigail and Liberty
Regardless of the accuracy of my cards and who the guilty party/parties actually is/are, I do know that two bright lights were lost that day, but I believe they are shining strong and together on the other side. And while some wounds can never be fully healed, I also believe they are doing their best to make their presence known to their families so as to provide as much comfort and peace to them as they possibly can from across the dimension that divides. I suspect if asked, the families would say that they do feel the girls around them in some of their quiet or meaningful moments.
Rest in peace and Iove, Abigail and Liberty. In your too few years, you showed us just how beautiful love in friendships can be, and you will be an eternal beacon for us all.
talesofthetarot.com 